The present invention has to do with a surfboard having a leash plug that is a more thoroughly anchored band than the leash plug of any presently available surfboard and method of manufacturing the same. The leash plug of a surfboard retains the surfboard leash. This is a line of extruded polyurethane bearing a loop of woven material on its distal end for a surfer to retain about his ankle. When the surfer is thrown off his surfboard, the leash retains the surfboard. This is an important function because a surfboard typically costs $450 or more. Even more important, however, is the prevention of accidents that a loose surfboard could cause to the surfer (who owns the board), as well as other people in the general area. More specifically, a loose surfboard has the potential to seriously injure or kill a surfer or a swimmer.
Today, a surfboard is manufactured by starting with a blank made of lightweight polystyrene (STYROFOAM(trademark) being the most familiar trademark for this type of material) or polyurethane that is in the general shape of a surfboard and then adding many layers of resin-impregnated fiberglass cloth around it. This procedure is known as xe2x80x9cglassingxe2x80x9d the board. After the board is glassed, additional layers of resin may be added to strengthen the board. In the next phase, a small hole is punched through the layers of resin-impregnated fiberglass cloth and into the blank. Resin is poured into this hole and a leash plug is inserted into the resin-filled hole.
After the leash plug has been correctly positioned, the board manufacturing operation must be temporarily halted while the resin sets. Any interruption in the manufacturing process is costly because it forces the manufacturer to give up a portion of his manufacturing space to accommodate the partially manufactured board. Alternatively, the manufacturer may stow the partially manufactured board and retrieve it after the resin has set. Although this second option does not waste manufacturing space, it does require a place to stow the partially assembled boards and the additional labor to do so.
Additionally, leash plugs installed according to this method have some vulnerability to being pulled out by a particularly strong wave. The importance of avoiding the resultant loosing of a surfboard have been noted above.
To lessen the likelihood that the leash plug will be pulled out, many large surfboards sport two leash plugs. This, of course, increases the cost of manufacturing the surfboard. Moreover, it is generally more convenient to the surfer to have the leash installed in a single place on the surfboard.
In a first separate, the present invention is a surfboard, comprising a blank made of lightweight, semi-rigid material and having a top major surface and a layer of resin-impregnated cloth adhered to the top major surface. In addition, a leash plug includes a cup portion and an extension and is set into the blank so that the extension is interposed between the blank and the layer of resin-impregnated cloth.
In a second separate aspect, the present invention is a method of manufacturing a surfboard, that begins with providing a blank of lightweight semi-rigid material having a top major surface and then forming an indentation in the blank at the top major surface. Further, a leash plug is provided having a cup portion and an extension that extends outwardly from the cup portion. Next, the cup portion is placed in the indentation so that the extension extends outwardly from the cup over a portion of the top major surface. A cloth is placed over the top major surface, so that the extension is interposed between the top major surface and the cloth. At some point the cloth is impregnated with resin and the resin is cured.
In a third separate aspect, the present invention is a leash plug having a top and a bottom and comprising a cup portion, traversed by a cross-bar. In addition, a rim extends outwardly from the cup portion and a retention wall extends downwardly, substantially at a right angle to the rim.
The foregoing and other objectives, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment(s), taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.